Ampule breaker



June 20, 1961 J c JACOBS 2,989,576

AMPULE BREAKER Filed Aug. 24, 1950 FIG! INVENTOR.

JOHN C. JA 6083 ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,989,576 AMPULE BREAKER John C. Jacobs, Natchez, Miss, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Aug. 24, 1950, 'Ser. No. 181,166 6 Claims. (Cl. 136-90) The present invention relates generally to improvements in deferred action batteries, and more particularly to a simplified and compact breaker mechanism employed in combination with the frangible ampule containing the liquid electrolyte of the battery.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Deferred action batteries of the type for which the invention is particularly suitable are those designed for use in an electrically controlled fuze train of a high explosive projectile, and the simplified mechanism of this invention conforms to the structural requirements and space limitations that must be met by this type of battery.

An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an ampule breaker that is compact and efiicient, and that performs the two distinct functions of cushioning the ampule against the shocks and impacts due to ordinary and even careless handling of the fuzed projectile, but nevertheless assures breakage of said ampule at the proper time, when the setback force is produced upon firing the projectile.

Another object is to provide an ampule breaker comprising a cushion of yieldable elastic material constituting a shock absorbing support in direct contact with the ampule, and an anvil coacting with said cushion and ampule, and so placed that normally the cushion keeps the anvil and ampule out of contact with each other, but that on the occurrence of the high acceleration of setback, the anvil flattens the cushion and is brought into fracturing contact with the ampule, whose inertia momentarily holds it stationary.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be appreciated readily as the same becomes understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axial section through the lower portion of a deferred action battery, the ampule support and ampule being shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is a plan, on an enlarged scale, of the ampule support and breaker, embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is a section through the said structures in the plane 33 of FIG. 2;

1 support alone.

Referring first to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the battery 1 comprises a plurality of annular electrodes 2 and/or sectors of such annular electrodes, surrounding the ampule 3 which contains a suitable electrolyte. These details are mentioned only to illustrate the general nature of the deferred action battery and do not themselves form part of the invention; reasonable limits, any electrode materials and electrolytes may be provided without in any way affecting the details of the invention itself.

The ampule is a frangible sealed container 3, and ordinarily, but not necessarily exclusively, is made of glass. A suitable amount of the appropriate liquid electrolyte is enclosed within said ampule, and thus maintained out Patented June 20, 1961 ice of contact with the electrodes before energization of the battery.

As already stated, such batteries are useful in electrically operated projectile fuzes, and in such use are subject to rough handling during the transportation and bandling of the projectiles to which such fuzes are attached. To prevent breakage of the ampule it is therefore highly desirable to provide a shock-absorbing support 4 for said ampule.

The breaker mechanism, as a unit, is embodied in the battery structure to perform the two-fold functions of a safety cushion or pad to eliminate the danger of accidental breakage of the ampule, due to normal shocks in transportation and handling, and of an anvil which intentionally shatters said ampule at the proper time, when the battery is to become energized.

The ampule support or cushion 4 is made of resilient yieldable material, such as Vinylite or an equivalent plastic. It is of generally cylindrical shape, having an outer cylindrical surface 5 and a cylindrical bore 6. The lower surface 7 is flat, while the upper surface -8 is concave, corresponding approximately to the shape of the lower end 10 of the ampule, as shown by the dash-dot line in FIG. 3. A plurality of spaced curved ribs 9 extends upward from surface 8, and these ribs engage the ampule to support it resiliently.

In the operation of molding the support 4, an annular groove :11 is produced therein, as shown in FIG. 5. This groove has a flat upper portion 12, merging into a frustoconical lower portion 13. The purpose of this groove is to accommodate the relatively hard anvil 14, made of Bakelite or metal, for example, and shown in detail in FIG. 4. Said anvil has an upper flat annular flange 15 that will fit into the upper portion 12 of groove .11, a frusto-conical side portion 16, shaped to fit the portion 13 of said groove, and a fiat bottom 17 with a centrally located conical breaker element 18 formed thereon. Inasmuch as the cushion 4 is made of yieldable material, it is easy to push the anvil into place therein, but nevertheless, once inserted, it will remain firmly held and centered within said cushion, with the vertex of the element 18 just below the center of the bottom 10 of the ampule, but spaced therefrom a slight distance.

The operation of the invention will be clear from the structural features thereof, but for convenience is sum marized below:

Assuming that the parts are assembled, with the ampule resting on the ribs 9, the vertex of the element 18 will be sufiiciently far below the bottom of the ampule to allow said ampule a slight range of vertical motion, without touching said vertex. Thus when the fuze is subjected to the ordinary shocks of transportation and handling, the ribbed cushion 4 will prevent accidental breakage of the ampule. However, when the projectile carrying the fuze is fired from a gun, the acceleration, or setback effect, is so great that the vertex of the breaker element 18 is driven into the bottom of the ampule, while the latter momentarily remains substantially at rest, due to the inertia of said ampule and its contents, thereby fracturing the ampule and releasing the electrolyte originally stored therein.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a deferred action battery having an electrolytecontaining ampule, a breaker mechanism for fracturing the ampule, comprising an open-center support of elastic material forming a yieldable cushion supporting the said ampule, and an anvil embedded in and held by the material of the support and thus forming substantially a unitary structure therewith, said anvil having a breaker element projecting through :the open center thereof to a location adjacent the bottom of the ampule.

2. A'breaker mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein .the portion of the support that is in supporting contact with the ampule is ribbed.

3. A breaker mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein the support is formed with an undercut groove and the anvil with a flange and side portion fitting into said groove.

4. In a deferred action battery having an electrolytecontaining ampule, a breaker mechanism for fracturing the ampule, comprising a support forming a yieldable cushion supporting the said ampule, and an anvil firmly embedded in the material of the support and thus carried by the support and having a breaker element thereby held in proper alinement tocontact the ampule.

5. In a deferred action battery having an electrolytecontaining ampule, a breaker mechanism for fracturing the 'ampule upon application to the battery of forces of inertia, comprising a yieldable open-center support for the ampule, and an anvilhaving a breaker element projecting through the open center for engagement with the ampule, said anvil having a flat bottom mounting said breaker element, and a frustoconical side portion and a flat flange anchored in said support.

6. In a breaker mechanism as recited in claim 5, wherein the portion of said support adjacent the ampule is formed with a plurality of ribs for supporting the ampule.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,403,567 Wales July 9, 1946 

